Drum-rod support.



T. WILSON.

DRUM ROD'SUPPORT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2o, 1910.

1,014',109, Patented Jan. 9,*1912.

` TOM WILSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRUM-ROD SUPPORT.

Application filed January 2'0, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3,1912.

serial No. 539,10?.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TOM VILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drum-Rod Supports, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to the tension devices for drums, in which the membranes or heads of said drums are given the desired degree of tension by adjusting the length of said rods. Heretolore it has been the practice to use smallrods for this purpose with hooks at the end of said rods, said hooks being adapted to engage the hoops that produce the tension in the drum heads. These hoops are commonly known as counter hoops and bear upon other hoops known as flesh hoops to which the membrane is attached at its periphery. The saidhoops are loosely attachedto the rods, and are provided with threaded connections, whereby the hoops may be drawn up by the rods. In this manner the counter hoops are caused to move toward each other, thereby causing a movement of the iiesh hoops, and hence a movement of the peripheral portions of the lexible drum head over the edges of the.

formly spaced about the circumference ot the drum, and therebyserve to hold the rods `in the proper spaced relation. The sup port-vv ing posts are given a pleasing forni and add greatly to the ornamental appearance of the drum. I also add a strengthening hoop wit-hin the outer shell of the drum and di rectly beneath the row of posts.

Other objects and advantages of my im` provemerits will be Iliade greatly apparent in the-following specifications and claim, taken in connection with the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view o1 a drum with a supporting post attachedto each tension rod. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a por'-` tiony of the drum, taken at right angles to the circumferentialI wall of the shell, and showing the exact location of the supporting post with relation to the adjacent parts. Fig. 3 is a sectional view at right angles to the view shown in Eig. 2 along'the line 3', V3. The same reference letters refer to similar parts in the dierent figures. As commonly. constructed, the drums to which my invention is applied are composed of ahollow cylindrical shell 10 having rounded. outer edges 10a overwhich the flexible membrane 11 is drawn. The peripheral. portions -11EL of said membrane are folded around a hoop 12 which is commonly called a flesh hoop. The hoop 12 is adapted to slide loosely along the outer surface of the cylindrical shell 10. A similar hoop 12a'is provided for the membrane at the other head or end of the shell. 12fL are moved along the shell by means of counter hoops 13 and 13a which bear upon said hoops 12 and 12", and are also loosely mounted upon the shell 10, exterior t-o the overturned portions 11b and 11C of the membrane. Bearing upon the outer edges of the counter hoops 13 and 13@L are hooks 15 and 1G. vThe hook 15 is provided with a thread# ed connection with the tension rod 14, and the hook 1G loosely tits said rod. The rod 14 is provided with a head 18 shouldered against the sleeve portion of the hook 16 and is provided with wings 17 by which therod 14: may be rotated bythe hand.

At or near the middle of the length of the rod 14 I attach a small post or support 19. This post 19 is provided with a head 20 which is preferably of spherical form and The hoops 12 and through which a hole 2l is provided for the t insertion ot' the rod 141 The post 19 is provided with a broad base 22 which bears upon the shell, 10 of the drum. A screw 23 is threaded into the post. 19 and is inserted therein through the wall of the shell 10 and into the base of the post trom the inside of the shell.

In order to give the'shell greater strength at its middle portion where the posts are attached, I provide a reinforcing hoop 24; which is preferably a thin strip of suitable material. I attach this hoop 24 to the inner wall of the shell and the screws 23 are j passed through this hoop 2st as well as'` through the wall of the shell 10. A washeri pio 25 may be inserted between the head 23 of the screw and the said strengthening hoop 24. Thescrews 23 will, therefore, be seen to serve the purpose of holding the posts 19 in their desired positions as well as to hold the strengthening hoop 24 in position.

The use and advantages of my improvement are Veryapparent, and it will be seen that thefpost 19 is very .eiiective in supportcing and holding the middle portion of the rod rigidlyfinl position and preventing any accidental cause from bending it. It is apparent that more than one post can be used for each rod, if desired or found necessary.

The tendency of the hooks 15 and 16 to become displaced or moved from positions equally spaced about the circumference of the drum is prevented by the posts 19.

`While I have described more or less precisely vthe details of construction, it is linderstood that I do not Wish to be limited `thereto, as I desire to reserve the privilege of making changes in form, proportioning the device, or substituting equivalents as cir- 'cumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: l

In a drum a cylindrical shell, membranes covering the open ends thereof, hoops surrounding tlie ends ofisaid shell and engaging said membranes, hooks engaging said hoops, said hooks being arranged in pairs, one hook of each pair having an aperture extending therethrough and the other having a screw threaded opening therein, a perforated support fixed to the shell between the hooks of each pair, a rod extending through each of said apertured hooks and the ooacting support and having a screw threaded end engaging the screw threaded opening in the opposite hook of the pair, each. of said rods having a shouldered head bearing against the coacting apertured hook.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

TOM WILSON Witnesses z' CEAS. J. JACOBS, WM. BUSANDT. 

